


Champions of the Crust

by acevael



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bakery, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Minor Krem/Scout Harding, Modern Thedas, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-01
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-04-18 13:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 14,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4707260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acevael/pseuds/acevael
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two rivals bakeries must unite against the emerging threat of chain cafés, and maybe something even worse.<br/>A story with loads of cuteness, cakes, and just a pinch of angst.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Lace Harding loved her job at The Cookie Herald. Not in a "I guess if I have to work at a bakery, this will do" way, but genuinely enjoyed every second of it. She loved the creaking of the front door when she opened it every early morning, the smell of vanilla and coffee that was always present in the rooms, the friendly whirring of the ovens as she turned them on, but most importantly, she loved the crew.

Sure, Cole could be a little weird sometimes, not saying a single straightforward sentence, but he knew what the customers wanted even before they did, and that was really useful when the queues had to move faster. He was also a natural sandwich-maker, which was probably the reason why suddenly all of Harding's clothes became too small after the boy was hired.  
And then there was Alexis. Alexis Trevelyan. The owner of The Herald, and Harding’s boss. She was the master of macarons, battenbergs, and various Orlesian cakes people couldn't get anywhere else with the same quality, unless they travelled to Val Royeaux and its famous bakers.

Harding always thought of Alexis as some kind of hurricane. She would storm in the store, immediately start talking about her favourite TV show, the traffic, the weather, or anything that was on her mind, complete with wild hand gestures, then she would put up her hair in the world’s messiest braid, get her light pink apron from the closet and disappear into the kitchen until the first batch of strawberry frosting cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies were ready. She always started with those as people liked to add them to their breakfast sandwich orders. By the time she reappeared from the kitchen, with flushed cheeks, and hair covered in flour, Harding had a caramel latte ready for her, and Cole was preparing whatever weird sandwich she was craving in the morning.

After the breakfast rush they would all sit down for a few minutes before preparing for the rest of the day. Alexis always made sure the dough was ready for all her creations the previous evening, because she didn't want to miss those precious breaks. She always checked if Cole's clothes were warm enough, and if Harding was aware of how valuable her work was.  
It was perfect. Their team was perfect. And Harding loved her job.  
At least that’s what she told herself on the bad days.

* * *

 

It all started out good enough early in the morning, when she walked down the street towards the bakery. The sun hasn't come up yet, and the air was chilly, one of the signs of autumn, but Harding didn't mind one bit as she hid her face under the gigantic knitted scarf she got from her mother. She walked past Minrathous Books, Griffon Toys, and the abandoned building that was rumoured to house a new business soon, and arrived in front of The Herald.

She saw lights coming from across the street, and hid a smile. Of course _he_ would already be in the kitchen. Harding was still in bed, and Alexis was probably still awake watching pointless mabari videos on the internet, when _he_ was already baking the second tray of breads. Usually, Harding wasn't bothered by this, at the end of the day both stores sold out their merchandise to the very last crumbs, but she saw something unusual in the other bakery's window.  
No, this wasn’t unusual, she thought as she slowly turned around, this was a disaster!

Harding opened the door of The Herald with fumbling hands, not paying attention to the creaking she normally loved, and immediately ran to the back room where the emergency numbers were written on a piece of vanilla scented paper. Sure, she was meant to use them in case of a fire, or break-in, but this was a lot worse than that. This was Code Archdemon. She had to do something before Alexis arrived, because if she didn't… No, Harding didn't want to think about the consequences. With her phone and the numbers in hand she slowly walked to the window, hoping to see the signs from across the street change or disappear. It was early, maybe it was just her imagination playing with her.

But they were still there. Shiny, and obnoxious and so different from the décor of the store, he had to do it on purpose.

But who should she call? Who had better chances at distracting Alexis so she wouldn't have a chance to see all this? Definitely not her twin, as he was all the way in Val Royeaux, probably on some important Chantry business. That left Dorian. Maybe he could convince Alexis to go for a morning run just until Harding figured out what to do about all this. Harding's fingers were almost already on her phone screen to call him, when she stopped.

Even if Dorian answered his phone, all grumpy after waking up so early, even if he agreed to take Alexis away for a few hours, the posters would still be there. Waiting for Alexis to return, mocking and ridicule her in front of the whole town. At least that’s what she would say. Harding actually liked them.

All she could do was wait. Maybe bake twice as many rolls for their sandwiches, and even start early on those orange tea cakes and cherry pies they planned for the day.

Hope for the best, chase The Rutherford, and its owner out of her thoughts completely, and she might survive the day.

Harding was in the middle of serving a customer when Alexis arrived outside the shop on her pink bicycle. Maybe she wouldn't see The Rutherford’s windows. Maybe even if she did see them, she would just shrug and handle it like a professional. They got a few bad reviews already when customers caught the boss on a bad day.

"That will be two fifty, please," Harding turned to the customer with her sweetest smile, just as the screaming started.

"What in the Maker’s name…" the man turned to front door where Alexis just appeared, her face almost as red as her hair, her one seeing eye dark as if she were a demon loose from the Fade.

"It’s nothing, we’re sorry, have a nice day!" Harding handed him the light pink paper bag, with his order sitting safely in it. This was already going worse than she imagined.

Alexis’s voice was shaky when she finally spoke. "How… Can someone tell me _how_ …"  


Harding thought of herself as a brave woman. She was a young, dwarven girl, living in a town mainly populated by humans, she couldn’t afford to be squeamish, but in that moment she just wanted to grab Cole and hide under the counter.

"Calm down, T…"

"Don’t 'T' me, Harding, I want to know how Cullen Rutherford managed to get a picture of the Queen of Ferelden on his damned window, smiling and eating his Maker forsaken cupcakes!"


	2. Chapter 2

Alexis didn't want to hate the guy. Not at first, anyway. She decided to be friends with everyone on Haven Court, just as she signed the papers to buy the small shop between the hairdresser’s and the travel agency. But she didn't know someone had a bakery right across the one she planned on opening. And even worse, a good one. The workers who helped her turn the dusty old shop into the bakery of her dreams, kept disappearing and reappearing with mouth watering sandwiches, cupcakes with perfectly even frosting on them, and macarons baked to perfection, with smooth surface and pastel colours.

The Cookie Herald was doomed before opening because as usual she made a very important decision on a whim. Sometimes she wished she could rewind time, keep looking until she finds a spot in a different part of town, but still remember The Rutherford on Haven Court and go back for the shop's famous Fereldan banana bread. Maybe even flirt a little with the man behind those glorious creations.

Unfortunately, she didn't know time magic, her only mage friend refused to help her with that sort of stuff, even after she promised a year worth of free cakes for him, so Alexis was stuck hating Cullen Rutherford, his perfect shop, and his perfect hair. If she tried hard enough, he would eventually give up, leave, and she would be The One True Baker of Haven Court, and no longer the disgrace of the Trevelyan family.

"Look at him, no one wipes tables with a smug smile on their face unless they know they just ruined their competition for good." Alexis grumbled during their lunch break, when she, Harding, and Cole stood by the windows, spying on Cullen's every move.

"He looks tired." Cole said quietly.

Alexis sighed.

Behind Cullen, and the tables on the street, those awful posters kept teasing her. The Queen of Ferelden herself winked from them, with her deep brown skin framed by shining, raven hair, reminding everyone she was not only a beloved ruler, but also better looking than most Thedosians. She held a chocolate cupcake topped with a light blue edible flower in one hand. A text with beautiful, cursive letters was written above her head: _The Queen's Kisses! Exclusive cupcake only available at The Rutherford for a limited time!_

"Do you think he actually kissed the queen?" Alexis asked her employees.

"You jealous, T?" Harding grinned behind her coffee mug. Oh, the dwarf had a death wish.

" _Maybe she remembers me, I hope she remembers me, or maybe it's better she doesn't, I was a fool, a young fool_ ," Cole said with a distant look on his face. Alexis found it weird the first time when he started talking like that, even to customers, but she was getting used to it. Liked it, even. "He is lonely."

"I'm also lonely, and now possibly the owner of a failed business, I never get cryptic little readings like that!"

"But... you have us. And Dorian."

“Speaking of Dorian… didn't you send him an emergency message ages ago?” asked Harding, looking around the store as if expecting him to appear any second.

“He told me to stop being dramatic, and he would come once he’s done with customers.” Alexis rolled her eyes. She knew her behaviour was bad, when Dorian, king of all things dramatic told her to calm down.

Cullen stopped cleaning the tables outside his shop, and before disappearing inside, glanced towards The Herald. Even if he saw its employees with their faces pressed to the window, he didn't show any signs of acknowledging them.

“I’ll be in the kitchen if anyone needs me, covered in dough, drinking the last bottle of my Antivan wine.”

“That’s illegal.”

“Murdering your opponent is also illegal, Cole, yet no one complains about it.”

“You do.”

Alexis closed her eyes, counted to ten, then headed to the kitchen. She hoped the familiar heat, the beeping of the ovens, and the smell of at least three different kind of dough would calm her nerves a bit. She wanted to lock herself up in the office where no one could see her, cry for hours and eat the entire stock of their Highever cream puffs. It was over, might as well accept it now, instead of waiting until the last of her regulars move to The Rutherford and its fancy Queen’s Kisses.  


Alexis shook her head. “Maker, what an awful name.”

Of course she was aware of Cullen not having much of an imagination, his store was literally named after himself. Why he chose baking as his career then, was behind Alexis. Harding said he would fit more into a military role, it was just enough to look at the way he carried himself to see that. Alexis tried looking one time but got so distracted by his back muscles, she swore not to do it ever again.

Giving up would have been the easiest option, but after she started working on the fan favourite ginger cookies (the secret was just a hint of almond), she realised how silly that would be. Maybe she could come up with something just as fancy as the Queen’s Kisses. No, maybe even fancier. Something, that people would not be able to resist. Something… _divine_.

Alexis almost dropped her tray full of raw dough balls when the idea struck her. She felt the usual tingling in her toes and the old scar on her face that came with sudden inspiration.

Small, personal cakes, dark chocolate and cocoa in the dough, then a layer of cream with sour cherries and fine Nevarran liqueur, on top of that more chocolate dough, and finish it with a mix of melted dark chocolate and chilli. Decorate it with leftover cherries, nothing too extravagant, just enough to catch the eye. She closed her eyes, and could almost feel the combination of chocolate, chilli, and sour cherries melting on her tongue. It wasn't the most complicated or unique idea, but neither was Cullen's new cupcake. With the right marketing though it had the possibility to become the saviour of her business.

Alexis put the tray full of dough in the oven and reached for her phone in the pocket of her apron. By the time there was a tired " _Hullo?_ " on the other end of the line she had everything planned for the launch of her new cake. The Divine.

"Andrei, I need you to talk to Cass... Divine Victoria and tell her she is now the face of my newest masterpiece!"

"What in Andraste's hairy legs are you talking about?" Her brother sounded annoyed. And tired. Definitely not ready for such important conversations, but Alexis couldn't wait.

"You could convince her, right? It's possible. She has to like sweets. Everyone likes sweets and she knows I have a bakery, so technically, if we follow the rules of family, she is obligated to help me out in the time of need. It's a chocolate cake, she would love it. I could send a sample to Val Royeaux."

"The rules of family? Alexis, I'm her bodyguard!"

"So that's what they call it these days?" Alexis grinned. She promised to not talk to anyone about the greatest secret of the Age, as it would have led to major political catastrophes, but that didn't mean she couldn't use it to blackmail her brother from time to time when the situation demanded it. And this situation definitely demanded it. "I'm not asking for much, just a simple photo of Divine Victoria enjoying my new cake I even named after her. It would be really rude to say no after all the effort I put into it. If she could bring her big hat too, you know, that gigantic one, that would also be nice. Should I book a room? Are you coming with her? I could book two rooms if you want to keep the illusions going. However, I think I should tell you, just last week there was an article in _Hello Ferelden_ about you two, because according to the fine journalists you stood too close to each other in the Grand Cathedral. Don't worry, people replied and said the rules for the Divine are too strict and you two would make an adorable couple. So when can I expect this adorable couple to arrive and try my cakes?"

Her words were greeted by complete silence. Alexis knew she sometimes dumped too much information on people at once, and she tried to do better, she really did, but there was always so much she wanted to say, and talking to her brother especially got her excited. How could she possibly stay on track when she finally heard his voice after at least three days of not talking to him?

"Alright, what did he do?" Andrei finally asked.

"How did you know it's about him?"

"We're twins. I read your mind. Like magic, but cooler." Alexis sensed her brother smile. Maker, she missed him. "I'm sorry, whatever happened. And I wish I could help. But I can't. I really can't. Not like this, anyway. If there is anything else..."

Alexis already disconnected the call. She knew she was being childish, and eventually she would have to send her brother the biggest box of his favourite orange and marzipan cheesecake to apologise. However, that would only happen after she stopped feeling betrayed by the person she loved most in the whole world.

The oven’s alarm pinged, it was time to turn the tray so the cookies would bake evenly. Alexis sighed, told them to behave good, and glanced towards the other side of the street. The queues were bigger than normal, while her shop had two customers and one of them wasn't even sure if they wanted to buy anything. The Herald was ready to shut down unless she thought of something amazing. And quick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the kind comments, kudos, and also reading the first chapters, or just one sentence! It means a lot to me that people took their time to do that.
> 
> I'm going away for a week, and there might not be wifi to post the next chapter, but I'll definitely have enough time to write.
> 
> Also, next time we will have a little look inside The Rutherford, so stay tuned for that, I guess :)


	3. Chapter 3

Cullen Rutherford looked at the crowd in his shop, and those waiting outside to get in, and he wanted them to disappear.

Sure, he hoped something like this would happen as soon as he put those posters up, even expected it. That was the reason he made them.

Queen Neala was one of the most beloved political figures in Thedas, a beautiful woman, and very photogenic with a cupcake in her hand, and her smiling face already attracted twice as many customers than usual. But Cullen completely forgot how nerve-wrecking it was to deal with so many people at once. It hasn't happened in a long time, ever since The Cookie Herald opened up across the street.

What an awful, silly name with too much pink and pastel compared to the simple wooden furnitures of The Rutherford, and Maker, Alexis Trevelyan was the most insufferable woman he's ever met. She was loud, she talked too much, and most likely operated on batteries because she was always running somewhere. She also smelled like lavender and sweet dough, her hair had a radiant orange shade in the afternoon sun, and when she smiled (which happened all the time), Cullen felt like smiling with her.

But she was also dangerous. He knew it, not only because normally girls with bakeries didn't have a scar on their face making them half-blind for life. Under the sweet smells and high pitched laughs Alexis Trevelyan was vicious and bloodthirsty and Cullen knew she would not stop until The Rutherford was out of business for good. Her attacks ranged from childish pranks to genuine threats (well, she was definitely drunk when that happened and started flirting with him right after), so Cullen had genuine reasons to be afraid, and it wasn't just his "paranoia" talking like his sister insisted.

Fortunately, Cullen had the rest of Haven Court behind his back, small businesses were loyal, unlike customers. Well, all of them, except for one. One man almost instantly became president of the Alexis Trevelyan Fan Club, and he was now standing in line to try the Queen's Kisses.

_Why did he even let the Queen name the cupcake herself who then no doubt let her husband do the job? Maker's breath, it was so embarrassing._

"Dorian! Came to spy on me I presume?" Cullen asked, trying to keep his tone friendly, but couldn't hide his bitterness. Once his bread was the reason the other man had to increase the number of gym visits in a week, and now he ate free at The Herald.

Dorian gasped, and with a theatrical motion put a hand to his chest. "Me? Perish the thought, my friend. I'm simply here to try the cake everyone's talking about. And I mean _everyone_."  
Cullen raised an eyebrow. Sure, Dorian liked to be dramatic, but his choice of words left Cullen curious.

"I know, Blackwall was already here during his lunch break and Chief Vallen also ordered a box."

"No, I meant everyone. If your customers won't kill me for keeping them away from your delicious cakes, I have an interesting story to tell you." Dorian said with a grin on his face which made Cullen nervous, then stepped away from the queue to stand by the wall.

Cullen hoped this would not be something about Alexis Trevelyan. He already had a headache, some of the customers talked too much after ordering, and he felt like the oxygen was slowly escaping the shop. He closed his eyes for a second, convincing himself that the air was just fine, and the walls were not going to close in on him, and once the crowd was gone, he would be free to take a break and go for a walk.

The promise of fresh air helped him get back to work, and in twenty minutes he was ready to deal with Dorian and his apparently fantastic story.

"I'll try that famous cupcake of yours now, if you don't mind," Dorian waved towards the counter. But as Cullen gave him the brown paper bag with the bakery's name printed on it, he just placed it on a table next to him. "I had a customer today."

"You must have been shocked."

"Joke all you like, there are plenty of people who are interested in the fine arts of my country. Most of them are creeps who hope I have handy manuals for blood magic rituals, but sometimes I get lucky to get actual buyers. Just like today."

Cullen nodded and started cleaning the counter with a wet cloth. He tried to keep at least the front of the bakery tidy. On most days it was hard to care about the state of the kitchen and the back areas, but he had to be prepared for surprise visits from Alexis Trevelyan's health inspection buddies. Hiring a professional team to clean The Rutherford was among his better decisions in life.

"You see, this customer of mine was actually from Tevinter. All the way here, it was a little strange. But she was genuinely interested in my books so I didn't question the reason behind her journey. We had a nice chat about demons and illegal magic, the usual Tevinter stuff," Dorian winked at Cullen. He was joking. Of course he was joking. He didn't know. He _couldn't_ know.

"And then the most interesting thing happened. She started asking questions about you."

Cullen forgot to breathe for a second. "Me?"

His heart started beating faster. Just who exactly was Dorian's mysterious customer, and how did she know him? More importantly, did she have questions about his past? He was certain he left all that behind, and made sure to not give his new address to any of his old acquaintances, but if someone figured it out...

"Well, not just you. Also that one," Dorian waved towards The Herald. "She asked some weirdly specific questions, like how long have you two been opened, how are you getting along, how does it feel to be a small bakery when there are chains cafes everywhere, and all that nonsense."

Cullen finally let himself relax. It was not about his past then, thank the Maker. Just innocent enquiry about small businesses.

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth, of course," Dorian shrugged. "I told her I know both of you well enough, but I don't know, or want to know the details, because I'm perfectly happy until there is fresh pastry in my mouth."

"And then?"

"She grabbed her book about the Old Gods, showed me a picture of her cat, adorable little creature, and left. Quite suddenly, she wasn't even interested in actual answers to her questions."

It was a bit strange, Cullen had to admit, but not stranger than the usual folks who visited Dorian's shop.

"And now, if you excuse me," Dorian grabbed the paper bag from the table. "I have to deliver this to our sweet Miss Trevelyan. Nice talking to you, Cullen, we should do it more often."

When Cullen left the bakery to take a much deserved break, Dorian was already at The Herald, him and the employees laughing loudly at something. It was probably Cullen, and how easily he was fooled. The tale about the woman from Tevinter was most likely made up as well. Maybe Dorian did hear a rumour about his past and started talking about two mages having a good time together to see how Cullen would react.

No, Cullen thought, Dorian would never do that, not even for Alexis Trevelyan. Besides, the woman's questions sounded real. Others asked them all the time. How did Cullen feel about having a small bakery when chain cafés dominated the streets of Denerim, Kirkwall, and even Val Royeaux? Wasn't he scared that something like Cory Café, the largest and most aggressive of them, would eventually show up in their town as well, stealing all business from him with cheap pastries and coffee tasting like mud?

"This town is definitely not important enough for such businesses," Cullen would tell them. Besides, he was more worried about the real threat, the pretty ginger girl with the wild smile and scarred eye, than hypothetical chain cafés.

The short walk made Cullen completely forget about rivals, noisy customers, and collapsing walls occupying his thoughts before. He liked days when feeling better came so easy. It happened more and more often when a simple stroll in the afternoon sun was enough to clear his head, and that left him hopeful. Maybe one day the nightmares, headaches, and the anxiety would stay away for good. Maybe.

Cullen stopped as he turned unto Haven Court. There was a woman standing by The Rutherford, staring inside through its windows. She wore a long, flowy skirt, and a black sleeveless shirt that left her torso bare, similar to the ones Alexis Trevelyan sometimes had under her aprons. However, that wasn't the strangest thing about her appearance. Neither was her blonde hair put up in two neat buns. It was the staff she carried on her back, that caught Cullen's eye. No mage carried a staff around anymore, unless they were very old-fashioned, very proud of the fact that they were mages, or... they were from Tevinter.

"Can I help you, ma'am?" Cullen asked when she got closer to the woman.

She turned around, like she was expecting him, and gave a him a full smile exposing a gap between her two front teeth.

"No, I was just leaving. Lovely shop you have there, Mr. Rutherford," she said, gave him a nod, and without saying anything else, left.

Cullen must have missed her turning around the corner, because by the time he unlocked the entrance and checked on the woman, she was completely gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, thank you for the lovely comments, kudos, all that stuff! You are the best!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick warning: this chapter mentions Cullen's lyrium addiction towards the very end.

By the following morning, Alexis received not one, but at least eight messages from Andrei on her phone.

Typical. She was a jerk to him, yet he was the one who felt the need to apologise. Some of the texts were the usual ones, promising to find a solution without disturbing the Divine, three of them were links to funny videos where dragonlings chased unsuspecting hikers, but the last one was definitely the most interesting, as it was sent around three in the morning, and just said, "Talk to Harding."

Her brother knew Harding has been more than a simple barista at The Herald, her work as a spy on The Rutherford and sometimes its owner, was more than valuable.

Alexis remembered the time when Cullen planned a range of stuffed Satinalia sandwiches one year, but Harding got hold of the recipes and The Herald started selling them a week before he wanted. It was glorious, one of the few times he actually stepped inside her bakery, and the look on his face was just too funny when he saw not only the colourful decorations inspired by the Antivan carnivals, but also _her_ customers enjoying _his_ sandwiches.

This time, however, she couldn't imagine what Harding had done. Dorian already got them a piece of the Queen's Kisses, and Alexis could have figured out the ingredients by simply taking a bite. She did have a rule against eating the rival's food, but these were desperate times. Dorian said the cupcake was heavenly, and even Harding admitted it was the best thing Cullen has ever made. Only Cole, dear Cole, said he preferred the cupcakes The Herald offered. Not that Alexis has ever seen him eating even one, but the sentiment was nice.

On the way to The Herald, she tried calling Dorian (perfectly aware of the dangers of waking him up before his alarm), but he didn't answer. He was either out late last night, drinking expensive wine in an elite bar in the company of male models, or read incredibly boring journals on magic and correcting the mistakes until he passed out at dawn. Either option was possible with Dorian.

"Hey, nerd, it's your favourite person in the world! Come by the shop when you can, Harding might have hired an assassin to kill Cullen. We'll also have pumpkin pie," was the message she left for him in the end. He couldn't resist something like that.

* * *

 

Dorian hated pumpkin pie. The taste, at least in his humble opinion, was a punishment for all races across Thedas most likely sent by the Maker himself for their sins. Not even Alexis Trevelyan's neat little hands could change that. So naturally, he would have ignored her asking him to show up at The Herald for a bite. But the other part of the message worried him. Dorian knew Alexis had extreme mood swings. She could go from tears of joy to breaking things with her bare hands within seconds, and that whole business with the cupcakes and the Queen of Ferelden really upset her. He also knew Harding was resourceful, but how resourceful exactly? He hoped they didn't actually plan Cullen's assassination. Surely, not even Alexis Trevelyan would do that.

_May I remind you_ , Dorian told himself as he walked towards The Herald, steps heavy with fear, _this is the woman who once thought necromancy could fix her burnt bread_.

Dorian started walking just a bit faster. Doing so he almost slammed into a white van blocking the path between his shop and the Herald. The man sitting behind the wheel gave Dorian a disapproving look, as if he would be able to deal any damage to the vehicle with his body. Technically, he could, but not without using magic. Dorian raised his hand as a silent apology and walked around the van. What was it doing on Haven Court anyway? It was strictly forbidden for cars to enter unless they had important business.

When Dorian stepped inside the achingly empty bakery, he was greeted by a very scared-looking Cole, a smug Harding, and a grinning Alexis, with a plate of cranberry meringue pie in her hands, and that was enough to chase the thoughts of strange white vans to the back of his mind.

"I thought you said pumpkin pie."

Alexis shrugged. "I know you hate pumpkin pie, Dorian, just offering it would offend you enough to come and yell at me. You're my best friend, I know how you work."

Dorian let out a small chuckle, and sat at his favourite table by the window. That was where he and Alexis talked for the first time, Maker knows how long ago, when they shared a plate of her magnificent ginger cookies after that one phone call with his family, he did not want to think about, especially while eating delicious food.

She was there for him when he needed the most, it was only natural he did the same for her in return.

Harding appeared in front of Dorian and put a giant mug of steaming coffee in front of him. Black, with just a hint of sugar, by the smell of it.

"I'm getting spoiled here," Dorian smiled and immediately reached for his fork. He hoped he wouldn't let a bit of magic free when he first tasted the pie, because that would have been just embarrassing.

"That's the plan, yes," Alexis winked and took the seat next to him. Dorian tried really hard, but he simply couldn't read what was happening in her pretty little head. It usually came easy, mostly because Alexis made it easy, but there was something about her face that did not feel right. Then Dorian remembered the real reason for his visit. It was just so easy to forget about it with all the treats on his table.

"Don't keep me in suspense any longer, what happened?" Was he scared of the answer? Absolutely. Would he show it? Not even for the most treasured tomes of the Minrathous Library presented by the man of his dreams.

"Harding has information," Alexis looked at the dwarf as if she were a million sovereigns. It reminded Dorian of the time when the two were hopelessly crushing on each other, not too long after Harding started working at the Herald. Eventually they decided to stay just friends, but not before Alexis spent hours talking about her cute employee with a bottle of red wine in her hand, robbing Dorian of precious hours of sleep.

"Yes, well, it's something I found after talking with Dorian yesterday," Harding started and Dorian immediately became suspicious.  
What did he say to the dwarf that put such a wild twinkle in her eyes? He told that amazing joke about the magister and the rage demon, they discussed his mysterious Tevinter visitor, Cole said she was up to something bad, and then... he couldn't help but express his thoughts out loud about Cullen and how weirdly he reacted to the mention of magic.  


_Oh no._

"So I got home and started doing a little research."

Dorian glanced at Alexis. Her mouth was slightly open and her hands were shaking with anticipation.

"It wasn't easy, as I didn't have much to begin with, but I know how to get information when I want it," Harding said. "It turns out, Cullen moved here from Kirkwall."

"That's where I went to university. Harding, is this your way of telling me I accidentally slept with him when I was out one night with the Future Grey Warden Society?" Alexis's eyes grew wide with sheer panic.

"I'm good at finding information, but not that good. Why were you part of the Future Grey Warden Society?"

"Oh, they could hold their drinks a lot better than anyone else. Said it would prepare them for some sort of ritual later."

"So what if it did happen? Good for you," Dorian shrugged and momentarily returned to his pie. Much better than boyfriend drama anyway.

"Back to my original finding, which has nothing to do with who T slept, or didn't sleep with, I had to break into some city records to gather more information on him, because it was obvious that whatever he did there was super secret, or went horribly wrong.”

"Please tell me it's both!" Alexis actually put her hands together like she was praying. When Harding nodded she let out a victorious cry.

"He was a templar."

Only the fans whirring peacefully on the ceiling broke the silence that fell on the room. Dorian was almost certain he heard everyone's increasing heartbeat.

"Better yet, he was a templar during the Kirkwall Incident."

Everyone heard of the Kirkwall incident, of course. The Knight-Commander of Kirkwall one day suddenly ordered her men to gather up the mages who currently studied in the Mage Tower's library and lock them up in the old dungeons. Two of the mages and the Knight-Commander herself died, but it was a mystery how it happened. Departments of Mage Rights were furious in every country across Thedas, the press tried asking questions, but no one provided answers for them. There were actual protests on the streets of major cities as people feared this was the beginning of templars returning to their old ways and the restoration of the ancient Circles. The one in Kirkwall almost ended in the protesters attacking the authorities, thanks to a girl from the internet, and her mage friend.

"There was something else in his records that made me snoop a bit further. And it turns out, before Kirkwall, he served here, in Ferelden. He was in Kinloch Hold Academy when that guy turned into an abomination and killed all those students."

Cole turned paler than usual, and Dorian suddenly didn't feel like finishing his pie at all. Unfortunately, people were well aware of what happened in Kinloch Hold. The media was full of pictures and shaky videos of demons for weeks. The templars killed the man who caused the slaughter, but also a few innocents in the process. The Queen was among the first people to arrive on the scene and offer her help. Which explained how Cullen knew her.

No wonder the man didn't want anyone to find out about his past before arriving in the town. That was horrible.

Everyone was quiet yet again, only Alexis had a wild grin on her face. Dorian listened to Cullen a couple of times, describing her as evil, and usually laughed him in the face, but he suddenly saw what he meant. The smile that was usually sweet and innocent on her face, was now something that belonged to a predator who was ready to tear its victim apart.

"We got him!" Alexis jumped up from her chair. "We actually got him this time! No one wants to buy their morning brioche from a murderer! I need to go and talk to him! I need to tell him that it's over, and if he doesn't pack up and leave within a week, I'm going to tell everyone!"

"How about we don't do anything so rash?" Dorian tried grabbing her hand.

"Yeah, maybe we should wait, maybe my information is wrong, maybe there was another Cullen Rutherford..." Harding's face suddenly turned bright red and her voice started shaking. There was something wrong, Dorian could sense it.

"Wait? Harding, this is huge! This will save our business and pay your First Day bonus!"

"No, Alexis, please!" Harding reached for Alexis but she was already out the store. As soon as the door shut behind her, Harding collapsed on a chair.

"She is not helping. She is going to ruin everything," came from Cole in his quiet manner as usual.

"Alright, you lost me here. Sure, what she's doing is not nice, but if what Harding said was true, our dear Cullen has been bad."

"After Kirkwall and Ferelden he decided to cut ties with the Order. That also means he stopped taking lyrium. I found multiple of his medical records, therapies, treatments, all that stuff, it turns out, he started baking to deal with his withdrawal. According to one of his doctors, the move and the bakery helped him a lot with his recovery, and his urge to take lyrium again drastically dropped since he opened The Rutherford and has something he enjoys and occupies his mind."

Dorian was certain the pie he previously ate would find its way back in his throat soon. 

Even if he had a few rapid thoughts of stopping his friend, glancing towards The Rutherford he saw Alexis already talking to Cullen.

"Oh no."


	5. Chapter 5

When Alexis was ten years old, and had both of her eyes, a Rivaini circus visited Ostwick with colourful tents, fortune tellers, mages with breathtaking fire productions, and exotic animals city kids have not seen outside of television before. Andrei and her were obviously excited, but even their older brothers, Dmitri and Ilia, quit their grumpy teenager act for an afternoon, and agreed it might be fun to go. There were actual dragonlings promised, after all. However, they decided to make it a bit even more interesting with a race. The goal was to get from the Trevelyan penthouse to the circus tents, and whoever got there first would receive treats from the losers, and whoever got there last would pay for all their tickets. All means of transportation were allowed, and not other rules applied.

Alexis knew she didn't stand a chance against her older, smarter, and stronger brothers, so she ate her Captain Nuggins cereal especially grumpy that morning. It was then, when she saw the cleaners arrive, throwing their keychain on the kitchen counter. The key on it were individually labelled: living room, cinema room, nanny's room, and all the kids' rooms. Within seconds, her plan was ready.

Alexis asked the two elderly elven women about their families until they agreed to fetch photos of their grandchildren from their bags. She then carefully snatched their keys, locked all her brothers in their rooms, and convinced their father's driver to give her a lift. Sitting in the front row of the show, with a caramel apple, popcorn, and a huge bag of gummy spiders in her hands, while feeling the fiery breath of a dragon on her face, was the proudest she felt in all her life.

Up until she stepped inside The Rutherford, armed with Harding's information. Success never smelled better. It was sweet, mostly vanilla, with just a hint of freshly baked bread. On top of that, a full plate of Queen's Kisses waited on the counter to witness their creator's defeat.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I'm closed up for lunch but if you..." Cullen Rutherford himself appeared from the kitchen, in a simple white t-shirt, carrying a simple black apron on his shoulder, a bit of flour on stuck on his face and hair. "Miss Trevelyan. I would say it's a pleasant surprise, however..."

"Please, no need for lies, Mr. Rutherford. I'm sorry to disappoint you. I know how much young women customers mean to you, after all, without their swooning you'd be out of business by now." Cullen closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. He had the look of someone who was already angry at the world after minutes of waking up in the morning.

"Is there a point to this? Because if not, I would like to go and eat my lunch, please." Cullen tried to sneak past Alexis, but she was quicker, and stepped right in front of him. He was suddenly so close, she could saw the almost invisible freckles on his face, and little golden spots in his brown eyes. Damn it, she _really_ liked brown eyes.

"I'm sorry, Miss Trevelyan, could you please tell me why you're here?"

Cole was right the other day. Cullen did look tired. In a different situation maybe she would have offered him a coffee or a nap in her office. But in this particular case Alexis was ready to give him a few more sleepless nights.

"You know, I was planning on going to Kirkwall for a few days, maybe in the winter. I just wanted to ask if you knew any interesting places to visit. I love the Viscount's garden with the festive decorations, and the markets where they sell hot chocolate with extra marshmallow and whipped cream, but I heard the library of the Mage Tower has some lovely readings way back to the Divine Age."

Alexis never actually saw someone getting so pale, so fast. Cullen looked like he was about to faint for a second before he managed to talk. His voice, always sounding confident and deep suddenly became a mere whisper as if he was scared someone might hear their exchange. Maybe templars kept surveillance on people who left them. Would that put Alexis in danger too for knowing too much? Maker's balls, she should have thought of that.

"How..."

"That doesn't matter," Alexis shook her head. She would not risk Harding's safety too. "But I know what you were. Templar."

She tried her hardest to spit out the last word with as much disgust as she could. Sure, being a templar did not necessarily made anyone evil, they arrested only a few innocents for the suspicion of using unauthorised magic, and mostly did their job right at educating academy students of the dangers that came with their powers, but being a templar who was present at both of the most recent tragedies regarding mage safety had to be more than a coincidence.

Cullen started reaching for Alexis's arm, but her surprised yelp at his sudden movement must have stopped him, as he went to rub his neck instead as if that was his plan all along.

"What do you want?" He asked, remaining quiet.

"I want you to take your Queen's kisses, your rhubarb pies, your fancy hair, and disappear so I can live my life in peace."

"You must be joking," When Cullen next spoke there was no sign of his previous panic anymore, and Alexis started to feel a bit intimidated. She was alone with a templar, who possibly killed a few people in his life already. Dorian and Harding were right. She should have waited before running off so quickly.

"No, I'm quite serious, in fact," Alexis said after gathering all her courage. She realised how silly she must have looked making threats, still wearing her light pink apron, and a unicorn clip to hold up her ponytail.

"In that case, good luck with whatever it is you're planning this time. Now, unless you wish to accompany me to my lunch and talk more of your nonsense, I would appreciate if you left, Miss Trevelyan."

"Enjoy it while you can."

Alexis turned around and with a gentle push on her shoulder from Cullen, walked towards the door of the shop.

She was satisfied with herself. Cullen might have acted all tough superior, but she caught the moment of desperation on his face when she confronted him. She just had to push hard enough until he actually broke, and have Haven Court with its many hungry visitors all to herself. But she would enjoy their little duel until that happened. Before Cullen's move with the Queen's Kisses it was starting to get boring anyway.

Funny, how she chose that moment to look up at the old, abandoned shop between Dorian's Minrathous Books and the toy store. Cullen must have done the same, because Alexis heard his surprised gasp before she could see what was happening.  
Someone took down the boards covering the shop's windows, and two men just finished tying up a banner covering up the majority of the building. Alexis saw the familiar logo with the red coffee mug in front of the black and white striped background, before she read the words:

CORY CAFÉ  
OPENING SOON

Alexis felt dizzy and had to grab Cullen's hand to steady herself. Weirdly enough, he didn't move away.

Just like that, they both lost the game.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back at university and things are a bit busy, but I'll do my best to keep this thing updated. Thankfully the town is full of cute bakeries and coffee shops to serve as inspiration and a place to write.


	6. Chapter 6

_*2 months later*_

Autumn has arrived on Haven Court, bringing thick fog and drizzling rain in the mornings, forcing people to hurry with their heads low, umbrellas in hand, until they got safely to their destinations. The lucky ones carried small flames in their palms to keep them warm, the not so lucky ones had to rely on their coats protecting them from the wind. Elves had to hide their sensitive ears behind special warmers, and suddenly everyone was jealous of dwarves and the bushy beards covering most of their faces from the cold.

Alexis thought she was prepared for it all, after living in Ferelden for more than a year. But even wearing pink earmuffs with matching rain boots, and a black raincoat, she was freezing on her bicycle. She cursed herself every morning for not being able to get a driving license, and immediately put her hands near the ovens when she arrived at The Herald. She could have killed for Harding's knitted scarf or Dorian's ability to summon fire whenever he was cold, which was pretty much all the time after growing up in Tevinter.

The weather caused torture was nothing compared to what greeted her when she arrived at the street she once adored. She would have walked through a hailstorm naked than look at the various advertisements greeting her as soon as she turned around the corner unto Haven Court. A Cory Café sign was placed right in the middle of the street: ' _Come inside for our range of special autumn drinks!_ ' Going further, a gigantic banner, flying high above the street, advertised pumpkin and apple pies, ' _perfect on cold days and first dates_ '. Alexis felt nauseous every time she had to pass under it.

And finally she would arrive in front of the café itself. Two stories with faux dragonling scale couches, shining metal counters filled with expensive pastry, soft Tevinter folk music floating out of the automatic doors, and waiters running around in their red and black uniforms was the abomination that called itself Cory Café. In the middle of the mess stood the store manager, Calpernia, the friendly Tevinter woman from Dorian's store, and greeted all customers with a sweet smile on her face, as if she were the Queen of Haven Court.

That was the worst thing about her. She was so incredibly _nice_. Alexis wanted to hate her, as much as she hated what Cory Café and its soulless, cardboard cakes stood for, but Calpernia complimented her outfits on more than one occasion, even watered the plants outside of The Herald when Alexis flew home for her birthday, and she always put out milk for stray cats wandering the streets. Alexis knew something was wrong with her, because something had to be wrong with her. She wanted to find it so bad, it actually made her skin itch. Harding could have done it within minutes, and after that she would be ready to...

_No._ The last time she did something like that, it ended catastrophically. Alexis still carried the apology note she wrote for Cullen after Harding was kind enough to tell her the whole templar story. Too bad they haven't spoken since.

The posters with the Queen's pictures were long gone from The Rutherford's windows, and only a printed message informed everyone that hot beverages were available inside. It was so simple and Cullen didn't even bother with autumn decorations. Alexis almost felt sorry for him, except there was already a group of giggling girls inside enjoying their morning coffee before their first lectures, while The Herald stood empty.

She was scared of what this meant for the future of her beloved bakery, but she would not let Harding or Cole know that.

"Did anyone catch the latest episode of _Swords and Shields_ last night? I liked it, but didn't understand why they had to make that change. The book was just good as it was. I can't wait for next week's episode though, because that cliffhanger after the kiss... it should be illegal to end it like that. Anyway, how are we doing this lovely morning?" Alexis started grinning as soon she stepped inside The Herald.

Harding and Cole were in the middle of sharing a turkey, cranberry sauce, and chocolate syrup sandwich, something that started out as Alexis's weird craving and turned into one of their autumn best-sellers.

"I don't understand, there was a woman here before, and the rain made her unhappy. She preferred the summer. Harding also doesn't like it, because it makes her hair frizzy." Cole said.

"She was trying to be funny, kid. And failed horribly," Harding stuffed the rest of the sandwich in her mouth, then followed Alexis to the changing area.

"How's it going, H?"

"Not too bad. We sold all the breakfast sandwiches, and about half of the poppyseed baguettes, and a few rolls, but I had to make less of everything than a week ago. We also had a cake order."

Harding said those good news in such an annoyed tone, something had to be wrong.

"It was your brother," she continued. "Grumpy, has a big nose, and that weird moustache."

"Dmitri."

"That's the one! Your nephew is turning five next week, and he wants a _Schmooples, the nug_ cake."

Alexis slowly shook her head. "Of course he does."

All children across Thedas were obsessed with the adventures of Schmooples. Originally a series of books written by a Chantry sister, then an even more popular animated show, it was charming, with funny moments, important life-lessons for both kids and adults, and a musical number at the end of each episode.

Alexis already imagined the cake. It would have vanilla sponge, strawberry filling, covered with white fondant which she would paint with characters from the cartoon. On top of that she would put extra marzipan figures of an open book, Schmooples, and the little Yulian himself, as well as five balloons.

"He also says he expects it for free as he is family."

Strawberry cake, no fondant, and one figurine of Schmooples on top then.

"Was there anything else?"

"No, that was all." Harding bit her lip then lowered her voice. "Actually, I collected some bills, they're in the office. Some of them has unfriendly red letters on them. T, is everything alright?"

Alexis forced a wide smile on her face, and while it was harder, also fought back some tears and made sure her voice was not shaky when she spoke.

"Of course, it's alright, Harding. I was thinking... apple and cinnamon pie, triple chocolate cake, and the one with cookie crumbles, because I could kill for slice right now. By the time people come in the afternoon there should also be new baguettes and rolls on the shelves, I don't want to be responsible for anyone's ruined dinner, and we're lucky Cory doesn't sell bread yet. Can you imagine? Because I don't even want to. And are those cupcakes I smell?"

"They're in the fridge, waiting for you to place them on the counter."

"You're a gift, Harding. You know that, right?"

Harding nodded, and with a tray of chocolate and bubblegum cupcakes, returned to the main area of the store.

Alexis shook her head as soon as the dwarf disappeared. Now she was just being silly. Business was fine. Sure, things seemed hopeless at the moment, but it happened a few times in the past, when Cullen's counter attacks were successful. And they got through those, right? As long as they had their team, their delicious cakes, and the crispiest bread crust in town, it would always be fine. Cory Café was only popular because it was new. Once people got used to it, things would go back to normal.

One thing worried her, however. Whenever she had sleepless nights, or woke up after way too familiar nightmares, Alexis looked at reviews for Cory Café, hoping she would find at least a single negative word, but so far there was nothing. Unlike watching videos of cute animals, these praises left her with an aching in her chest, and a throbbing in her scar that would not go away until the next morning. She would read the different blogs, discussion boards, and online magazines until the words started swimming and twisting in front of her eye more than usual, and only was actually legible: _addictive_.

The Herald has gotten many reviews in various local magazines, and baking websites. So did The Rutherford, and both bakeries received mostly positive feedback. But no one ever described their pastries as addictive. Scrumptious, magnificent, even the gift of Andraste herself, yes. But never addictive.

It had to be some sort of corporate brainwashing. The more they repeated the word, the more people would believe it. Before she could think more thoroughly about it, Alexis usually found a recommended video titled ' _Ten must see mabari tricks!!_ ' and forgot about everything when she saw a dog jumping through four fire rings simultaneously.

* * *

 

Alexis just finished decorating her triple chocolate cake with small, marzipan leaves, when Harding appeared in the kitchen, looking even more worried than before. She didn't even acknowledge the culinary masterpiece in front of her eyes.

"Oh come on, Harding, I worked really hard on this, I would at least deserve a friendly pat on my arm!" Alexis laughed. True, her mood was lower than the deepest tunnels of the Deep Roads before, but creating something as amazing as a chocolate cake made it all better.

This was the great thing about baking. When someone was in the middle of chopping dried fruits or mixing bread dough, all problems ceased to exist. Even people like Cullen knew this.

By the end of the day she would be the most balanced person in the world, as long as she kept on creating.

"Cullen's in the shop. He ordered two hot chocolates, one with extra whipped cream and marshmallows."

Alexis felt her little happiness bubble burst instantly, and she had to fight the urge to throw her finished cake at the wall. "Did that week-old nug-dropping actually bring a date to my bakery? That's a new low, even for him. Who would even agree to do that? I mean, sure, he has nice hair, and his eyes are okay, I guess, but he's about as interesting as stale bread. Have you ever tried talking to stale bread, H? It's not very stimulating."

Harding looked uncomfortable, and tried to find her words several times before she finally spoke.

"Actually, he said the second hot chocolate was for you. If you're not too busy."


	7. Chapter 7

This was ridiculous. The whole situation was ridiculous. Starting with the mug of hot chocolate in front of him, with pink sprinkles and silver stars on top of it, all the way to The Herald's employees and their not so subtle spying on his every move, and Alexis Trevelyan sitting in front of him with utter disgust in her eye, and chocolate in the corner of her lips. Cullen knew he made a handful of bad decisions in his life, but this had to be the worst of them all. 

"Are you going to tell me why you're really here, or would you just like to stare at me for the rest of the afternoon?" was all Alexis said to him. Not even a greeting or a displeased grumble since they sat down. She could have a decent career in magic control, Cullen thought to himself, that tone would scare anyone away from turning to the forbidden schools.

Cullen sighed, and tried imitating Alexis's disgusted look. Of course he had a reason. One, that seemed like a good one two hours ago, but he wasn't sure anymore. The Maker himself would return before Alexis Trevelyan behaved like a reasonable person, so why did he bother anyway?

He blamed the rain, the cheerfulness of Cory Café despite the awful weather, how pathetic The Herald and The Rutherford must have looked in comparison, and _that dwarf_.

Cullen saw people stopping outside his bakery, considering stepping inside from the rain, but noticing the bright red logo on the other side of the street and turning their backs to The Rutherford without thinking. He also saw the same cakes sitting on The Herald's counter since the morning, potential customers going inside and getting out within seconds without purchasing anything. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand it.

The thought actually kept him awake for many nights already. He knew he was a good baker, and since he learnt not to underestimate potential threats as a templar, Cullen admitted that Alexis was also good. Surely people would have remembered that even with that flashy café on the street. Their pastries were simple, but Cullen thought sometimes people preferred simple. Cory Café and its complicated products started to prove him wrong. Pumpkin spice, apple sauce, and salt caramel decaf latte with sugar free whipped cream, Sweet Andraste, how could people even remember that without messing up their order?

His menu had been the same since he opened The Rutherford, with the occasional extras, like the Queen's Kisses, but that only happened because he had to keep up with The Herald and Alexis’s ever changing range of baked goods. What would he do against Tevinter's most famous chain café? He couldn't, and didn't want to turn his shop into something similar. If people weren't satisfied with plain, old-fashioned Fereldan pastries, he might as well close the place. He just enjoyed baking so damn much, it was his life now, something meaningful and stable after the dark months that followed his split from the Order, and he wasn't ready to just give it all up.

At least his competition wasn't one of the Orlesian cafés. Things could always be worse.

Cullen remembered all the events that led him to sitting on The Herald’s Marcher-styled chair, but he still couldn't understand his own decision to do it. Almost as if his body suddenly betrayed him and acted on its own. It was easier to put the blame on those  two dwarfs anyway.

He only just finished his lunch and restocked the counters for the afternoon crowd he hoped to come, when they stormed into the bakery, the younger one looking very excited for the rain, the older one, most likely his father, trying to guide him in the direction of the baked goods. They took their time deciding, because it seemed like the younger one wanted every single biscuit from the counter. When they finally settled on a simple chocolate one, and a loaf of dried tomato bread, the older dwarf gave Cullen a big, friendly smile. It was hard to see from his beard which he braided into an impressive design, but the cheerful tone of his voice when he spoke, helped.

"I was just telling my boy how nice it is to bump into traditional bakeries for travellers like us. Isn't that right, Sandal?"

"Seems like you're the only one who feels that way," Cullen answered quietly. Even through the closed doors of the Rutherford he could hear the noise coming from Cory Café like a tune especially existing to torture him. It wasn't just the music and the muffled conversation of at least fifty people at the same time, the place had some kind of energy he couldn't explain, but felt unnatural.

His sister was right. He started getting really paranoid.

"I don't think that's true, mister. You see, we did try this Cory Café the other day when we were in Denerim for business, to see what the fuss was about, and we were really disappointed. Even Orzammar has better pastries than them. And I'm certain those are made of mud." he laughed at his own joke.

"Bad cookie," came the short, but wise, comment from the younger dwarf.

"I doubt we're the only ones who feel that way. Just keep doing what you're doing, many of us are extremely grateful."

The dwarf's words stuck with Cullen, even after the two men were long gone. They infiltrated his deepest thoughts, and didn't leave him alone until he decided to take a second break, and his legs carried him straight to The Cookie Herald.

Only sitting in front of Alexis Trevelyan, and looking deep into her scarred eye, made him realise how bad his plan actually was. Not bad, not really. More like unfinished, illogical, and against anything Cullen has ever stood for. He should have turned to one of his friends for help. Like Blackwall. Maker, even Dorian. That man loved to feel important. Trusting dangerous people often ended in disaster, yet another thing Cullen learnt as a templar, and Alexis Trevelyan was as trustworthy as a teenage Academy student in the hands of a desire demon.

"I could always throw you out, you know. Harding doubles as bouncer," Alexis told him.

Cullen did not have time for this. He heard her complaints far too many times, and he didn't wish to waste his visit listening to them again. He shook his head and turned to the blond boy trying his hardest to turn invisible behind the counter.

"Hey kid, can you bring me one of the cheese and tomato paninis, a slice of the triple chocolate cake, and the whole basket of ginger cookies."

"The whole basket?" The boy's voice was quiet. Almost soothing.

"Yes. Put some biscuits in there as well. And I'll also have a cup of tea. Two sugars, please."

Alexis opened her mouth to protest, then immediately closed it. Good, she was finally speechless.

The boy slowly brought everything in front of Cullen, and was ready to hand him the receipt, but Cullen stopped him. "I'll pay for it, once Miss Trevelyan listens to me."

He wished he had a camera to capture Alexis's shocked impression in that moment, and look at it later whenever he was feeling down. The whole trip was already worth it just to see her eyes wide open in utter horror like that.

"You're an ass," she murmured under her breath and took the angriest sip of hot chocolate Cullen has ever seen. She didn't wipe her whipped cream moustache off.

"But I'm an ass who is willing to help you."

Alexis studied his face for a moment, looking for signs of lying most likely, then started giggling. First, just quietly, but it soon turned into roaring laughter. Cullen anticipated something similar, but he forgot how annoyingly sweet that sound was.

"Thank you for your purchases, and this little comedy act, it really helped after the crappy few days I had, but seriously, why are you here? Were you just feeling sorry for me, because when my competition is a business bigger and cooler than yours, I'm technically useless? Or is it because of that thing I said a few months ago?"

That "thing" was his best kept secret, and Cullen was still waiting for Alexis to use it against him somehow. But he wouldn't mentioned that. Not when he wanted her to figure out the reason for his visit herself, and saying one wrong word could result in her standing up and leaving Cullen alone with his food.

"Last year I gave ten percent discount for all university students," he started, taking a bite of his sandwich after a soft rumble of his stomach reminded him how much time has passed since lunch. It really was as good, as some people claimed. The boy even put a few drops of hot sauce in it, just as Cullen secretly liked it.

"So I gave them fifteen," Alexis answered, with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"After that I introduced the fifty percent student discount on Mondays."

"I got so angry I threw a whole cake at your shop. It was a lovely cake, you know, I used this very interesting Dalish method to raise the dough and had five different fruits in it. I found the recipe just the day before."

Cullen decided to ignore the comment about the cake, he was well aware how delicious it was. Dalish recipes were almost always perfect. "Someone filmed it, put the video on the internet, and suddenly everyone wanted to try your revenge cake. Meanwhile, I had to send my assistant baker away."

"You became a sponsor for the university's football team, and I lost very important sandwich customers with that. Maybe you noticed, but those guys eat a lot."

Cullen smiled. "Yes, I did notice."

"You were so smug after that, I tried to pour melted chocolate on your hair at the Small Business Fair. But besides being my barista and bouncer, Harding is also your secret guardian, because she stopped me."

Cullen looked at the dwarf peeking out from the kitchen, but she just shrugged with a smile on her face before disappearing behind the door frame. He had to thank her somehow. Maker, how did even Alexis wanted to get away with that? It didn't matter. He needed her horrible, spontaneous ideas as unbelievable as that sounded. And if he was lucky she would realize that too.

When he looked back at Alexis, she was deep in her thoughts, fingers tapping on the table, eyes fixed on something outside of her shop. Cullen slowly followed her gaze. She was staring at Cory Café's distasteful banner on the street. Alexis furrowed her brows, let out a quiet "huh" and started tapping more frantically than before. Cullen wasn't familiar with her habits, but hoped it meant she was finally getting the idea.

"I guess..." Alexis started tugging at the end of her ponytail, avoiding Cullen's eyes for the first time since they sat down. "We're really good at making each other's lives awful. Maybe..."

Cullen nodded, encouraging her to continue.

Alexis finally looked up with a wide smile on her face, her eyes shining. "If we teamed up to defeat the bigger evil, maybe our bakeries would actually stand a chance."

Once again, Cullen nodded. It went easier than he thought. Sure, now came the part of actually tolerating Alexis, but he had to do it. For the sake of The Rutherford, and his own well being.

"This does not make us friends," Alexis said.

"Maker, no."

"As soon as Cory Café is chased away from Haven Court, I'll finally figure out how to put laxatives in your dough, you know."

"I'm fully expecting that."

Cullen held out his hand. Alexis looked at it and bit her lips. After long moments of hesitation and a quick glance at her employees, she finally reached out and slowly shook it. She had glittery nail polish, a few burn marks on her fingers, and sitting that close to her, Cullen could definitely smell the clean scent of lavenders.

The sooner their alliance would end, the better. Things had to go back to normal before Cullen started discovering more things about Alexis Trevelyan that actually made her likeable.


	8. Chapter 8

It was Blackwall who noticed the banner first when he arrived on Haven Court to open up his shop for the day. He arrived late, didn't have time for his usual black coffee at The Rutherford, and thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him. As he got closer to it, he became certain the banner was real, and more importantly, its message was real. Unless kids were playing some elaborate prank, but surely no one would put that much effort into something like this, not when they had their eyes glued to their phones all the time, anyway.

It must have gotten there overnight, because Blackwall did not see it when he closed his shop the previous day. He would have noticed something like that.

Blackwall never tried sending group texts to the business owners of Haven Court, despite receiving dozens of them, mostly from Alexis Trevelyan asking everyone out for drinks. Blackwall ignored those. Cullen Rutherford was a good man and didn't deserve that woman's attacks aimed at him. But Blackwall also knew this was exactly the sort of situation group texts were introduced at the annual meeting a few months ago.

The Iron Bull, owner of the used record shop, responded first with a brief "You're shitting me."

No, Blackwall was not "shitting" anyone, but he was certain most people will have similar reactions.

* * *

 

Krem, the Iron Bull's part-time student assistant (with a full-time pay check), just finished his morning workout routine when he received the message from his boss.

Fortunately, there was also a picture attached to the text, otherwise Krem would have been certain it was just the ox-man messing with him, and his feelings for freshly baked pastry again.

He made sure to also show his band the picture once he arrived in the lecture hall earlier than usual.

Well, they were _sort of_ a band. They had a gig every few months in small pubs, but mostly just enjoyed hanging out at the Bull's place, listening to old records, drinking dwarven craft beer. The guys got just as excited as Krem, even Grim flashed a smile, and since it was a special occasion no one teased Krem about the cheerful dwarf girl at that bakery, and the mysterious blush that crept up his face every time he placed an order with her.

* * *

 

A tiny elven girl, with an afternoon show at the local student radio, peeked over the tall human's shoulders as she heard their excited murmur, and saw the picture on his phone right away. She quickly grabbed a pen and wrote down all the details she could catch before the boy hid the phone in his pocket. She actually felt worried earlier, because she started running out of topics to fill a whole hour (there were only a handful of juicy gossips on their small campus after all and not everyone was interested in Professor Zathrian’s unfair marking system) but this was perfect! If she finished at the studio in time, she could also pay a visit to the bakeries, maybe even score some exclusive interviews with the owners. She had friends who were especially interested in everything the blond human man had to say. They would be so jealous!

* * *

 

One of the editors of the Calenhad Cuisine online magazine found the university radio station as he was sitting in the afternoon traffic on his way home from Denerim. He forgot to pick up a souvenir for his husband, the sponsors wanted to put more advertisement on the website, and he simply couldn't find a station playing a decent song. He only wished to listen to some finer tunes instead of the hundredth Orlesian all-girl group singing about melting hearts like chocolate. What did that even mean, anyway?

A kid in the car next to his desperately tried to get his attention by banging his meaty little fists on the window. He let out an annoyed sigh and closed his eyes. The cars in front of him stopped moving anyway. Fortunately, he did not close his ears, however, and listened to the smooth voice talking about two bakeries on the radio. He knew them well, even wrote reviews of both of them. Lovely bakeries, with quiet, authentic small town atmosphere and some of the best pies he's ever tasted. Too bad the owners behaved like children and took away his will to ever return to Haven Court. His sponsors tried to convince him to write about the brand new shop of Cory Café instead, but he had no interest in that. But the story from the radio was true, it was worthy of his time.

With a sudden motion he stopped the car on the side of the road, and got his laptop from the backseat. He wanted to publish an article before other websites had the chance.

* * *

 

FOR ONE WEEK ONLY!

MONDAY TO WEDNESDAY: Buy a sandwich at The Herald and receive a FREE cake of your choice at The Rutherford

THURSDAY TO SUNDAY: FREE box of Herald Ginger Cookies with every purchase from The Rutherford

Alexis Trevelyan looked at the banner, then the queues waiting in front of both bakeries, and finally the man standing next to her. He caught her eye and they both started grinning at the same time. It was probably the first time in months she gave him a genuine smile. It felt weird, but they were allies now. The word made her nauseous a bit, but she would get used to it.

"Alright, Herald, back to work. Those customers need our attention."

Things were going amazing. Cory Café didn't stand a chance against their united power.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is a very very very short chapter, but I think of it as kind of an intermission, before the so-called "part 2" comes. Beginning of a beautiful friendship, and all that.  
> As you can see I also added a few new characters and tags, the "rating may change" obviously being the most important of them. 
> 
> Also thank you for all the kind comments and kudos, they all mean a lot to me when university is slowly eating all my energy.


	9. Chapter 9

The banner, naturally, was Team Herald's idea. Cullen might have insisted they were working together now and separating the two crews was pointless and in the long run only worsened their chances of success. It must have been jealousy, because Alexis had all the support her super amazing employees could give, and he only brought himself to the alliance. And Cullen so far tried going against every simple suggestion Alexis had, starting with the most important one: the element of surprise of the two the bakeries working together.

"Why would people even care?" he shrugged with the second cup of coffee in his hand.

"You really don't know people, do you? This thing we do, it's what we're known for. They're used to coming to my shop and having to listen to a long rant about The Rutherford in any given moment between ordering and leaving. They expect us to occupy ourselves with bickering while they choose the drama-free atmosphere of Cory Café. It even has to be a part of Calpernia’s master plan."

"Starting slow would still be our best option, it's all I'm saying."

He was so damn stubborn, Alexis thought about ending the whole alliance before it could even start properly. How would she even get through to him? Sure, Cullen said he turned to her because she had some amazingly bad ideas that by accident turned into pure genius. But without him listening to her genius (she really liked that word), what was the point of them working together? Giving her the worst headache of her life, most likely.

"We can't afford to be slow, Rutherford." Her mind was filled the images of the envelopes hidden in her office desk, and the unfriendly red letters on them. Andrei suggested to call their parents and ask for help, but Alexis refused. She didn’t need their condescending sighs, her father reluctantly shoving cheques in her hands, and their hopeful suggestions of Alexis finally accepting a job in the family business.

Cullen mumbled something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “Andraste’s tits”, and rubbed his eyes. He looked a bit worse than usual, not even those cups of coffees helped to get rid of the tired look from his eyes, but even with the stubble and possibly unwashed hair, he was better looking than Alexis on the days when her make-up and hair cooperated with her by the divine miracle of Andraste herself. It was so unfair, she wanted to scream and put a paper bag over Cullen’s awful, handsome face.

"Fine, what do you want to do then?" he finally asked.

"We need to surprise them, is all. It has to be something that will shock everyone who's ever been to our shops, but also appeals to potential new customers who would only visit Haven court for Cory." Alexis paused to gather her thoughts. "Free puppies would work best."

Alexis expected Cullen to start groaning, call her immature, or simply get up and leave the store, but he just chuckled. "Maybe remember that as plan B."

After a series of long arguments, annoyed sighs, useless ideas ( _"We're not hiring clowns to promote our bakeries, Herald!"_ ), and frustrated facepalms, Alexis and Cullen finally settled on the right idea that benefited both bakeries equally and would give a big enough kick in Cory Café's cinnamon-scented butt. It was the second best thing they could offer after free puppies: free cookies.

"We could put some advertisements in local papers. It could also work as coupons, I hear people like those," Cullen said.

That, was a good idea. Amazing, even. Simple, yet something that would reach at least hundreds when they read the morning papers on empty stomach. But Alexis refused to let Cullen know that.

"Too. Slow."

"Are you even going to listen anything I say, or you're just pretending I'm a new accessory here?"

"Harding, do you have something for me?" Alexis turned to her dwarven employee who made sure to not get involved in any potential fights by painting her nails.

Harding nodded with a smile on her face, waved her hands if front of her face to make sure the nail polish was dried, and walked to the windows of The Herald and with an excited little squeak, told Cullen, Alexis, and Cole to follow her. They usually spied on Cullen from that spot, but he was with them now, breathing down on Alexis's neck. The Rutherford was dark and quiet on the other side of the street, even the cleaners were long gone.

The street itself was abandoned. There wasn't a single person in sight, no movement, except for Cory Café's gigantic, ugly banner swaying lazily in the evening breeze. Those hot chocolate mugs looked especially evil in the dark, spreading their vile message for the whole world to see.

Of course. It was perfect.

"If we hurry, we can be done by tomorrow morning. My room mate and I could paint it for you. If you don't mind having doodles of bees on it, of course. She gets excited about drawing. Sure, putting it up would be a bit of a challenge, but if we got a few tall guys, they could get it done easily. Qunari would be best. I have someone’s number from the University basketball team. They would try standing on each other’s soldiers for free sandwiches. Wouldn't be the craziest thing those guys have done," Harding looked so excited for her plan, Alexis was certain Sera was already painting their new banner as they talked.

"Actually, I know something better that won’t end with sending the whole team to the hospital," Alexis got her phone ready, and knew she would have to bake a serious amount of Dorian's favourite lemon cake the next day.

* * *

 

There were a few rules someone had to follow when they planned on using unauthorized magic. The first, and most important one was not getting caught. The second was getting the best dwarven lawyer in case of getting caught. The third, was not attracting unwanted attention that would result in a couple of Templar patrols showing up. Dorian, in his black velvet suit, decorated with gold motives, complete with matching shoes, and gold eyeliner in the latest Tevinter fashion, tremendously failed that one.

"It's so shiny," Cole commented on the outfit with wide eyes.

"Yes, well. When your best friend calls you in the middle of a date because of an emergency, you don't have time to change," Dorian said bitterly, and Alexis felt just a little twinge of guilt in her throat. He actually really liked this new guy, to the point of not being able to shut up about him and she was already messing it up. Lemon cakes would not be enough to express her gratitude. "I never thought said emergency would be a banner that has…” Dorian squinted as he stepped closer to the sheet to examine it. “Alexis, what's that supposed to be?"

"It might be a dragon drinking coffee. Or…" Alexis tilted her head, and immediately blushed. “No, let's just say it’s a dragon drinking coffee."

Dorian, without waiting for further instructions, started stretching his arms and wiggling his fingers, with tiny sparks of electricity playing between them. A show for certain members of the audience, no doubt.

"Did anyone think of the surveillance cameras?" he turned to the rest of the team, and Alexis had to admit they forgot about those. Between planning to magically tear down Cory Café's banner, and tying up their own by using similar magic, it was easy to forget about mundane things. Like the high-tech security equipment the shop owners of Haven Court purchased together a few months ago. "Don't worry, I have a spell. I simply wished to make sure I'm still the most reasonable person around."

"This is a bad idea," Cullen spoke for the first time since Harding arrived with the completed banner and paint covering her hands. "Category two magic requires authorization from the Templar Order."

"It's a good thing we have a templar with us, then," Alexis grinned at him. Even with the dark look he gave her, it was worth it.

"Technically," Dorian joined in. "The possession of inanimate objects counts as category three magic and requires a written permit signed by someone at least with the rank of Knight-Captain."

"What did you say your templar title was?" Alexis turned to Cullen again.

"I didn't."

"Don't worry, friends, I know what I'm doing," Dorian said as a strange blue glow appeared around his fingers. It was raw, pulsing energy straight from the Fade, and Alexis felt the usual rush of excitement that came with witnessing the use of magic. Cullen tensed next to her. Clearly, he wasn't as excited.

"This is not right," he said one last time, before magic erupted from Dorian's hands. The whole street lit up with blue light, and one by one, the security cameras on the buildings turned themselves off, with a faint, whirring sound.

Once the magic was sealed, and street lamps remained the only source of light, as if nothing happened, Dorian turned to the group.

"And now, time for the main attraction!" Dorian's hands lit up with magic once again and his spell ripped the Cory Café banner into a million pieces, followed by the cheer of Alexis and her employees. Even Cullen looked impressed as he watched the remains slowly falling from the sky like snowflakes. It was a wonderful sight, and reminded Alexis of the coming festive season. Pictures of tables filled the most amazing buffets, the annual parade of Haven Court, and the smell of cinnamon filled her mind, and she almost missed the moment when their own banner got secured above the street.

"Who wants to celebrate this wonderful victory with a beer or two?" Dorian asked. “I look great, you all look acceptable too, and I have reservations in five different bars. It would be a crime to go home this early.”

Alexis and Harding immediately agreed and even offered to buy. Cole also looked excited to hang out with them. He has been part of the group for months, yet he still looked surprised and a bit relieved when they remembered to include him in various activities.

"I'd better go home, hopefully we will have a busy day tomorrow," Cullen said, being the complete bore he was.

"Come on, Rutherford, you were part of this as well, allow yourself a victory drink," Alexis said. It must have been the rush that came with the success of the first part of their plan that made her want him to join them so bad.

"This is your chance to show us you're not completely lame, you know," Harding said as she desperately tried scrubbing the paint off her fingers. Dorian only ever visited the most expensive and exclusive places. Alexis planned on refreshing her make-up on the way.

"I really shouldn't, I...," Cullen looked at the banner as if expecting guidance from it, and then the little group waiting for him. Alexis gave him an encouraging nod, Dorian suggested to buy him apple juice instead of beer, if that was his thing. "I'm sorry. Maybe another time."

Maybe it was for the best. Who needed his most likely awful templar stories, and laughs sounding like hiccups anyway? Certainly not Alexis Trevelyan.

* * *

 

Cullen was gone, the security cameras were operating again, and their little group was ready to leave the crime scene, with Harding and her spotless hands being the most eager. Alexis felt giddy and ready to charm all of Dorian's favourite places with a smile, but a little uneasy feeling made her pause in front of Cory Café just as she was in the middle of telling a joke about the dwarf and the Ogre to the rest of the group.

"So they meet in the Deep Roads and what happens?" Dorian asked.

"You guys go ahead, I'll be just a second," Alexis said.

"This was a really bad joke," Cole sighed.

"Don't worry, I have another, and it's one that not literally three hundred years old," Harding linked her arms with his and just like that, the rest of the group was on its way to the end of the street.

Alexis wasn't sure, but it looked like as if there were movement in the café, and the little shivers on her arms told her to investigate. She took a hesitant step towards the shop. It was dressed in complete darkness, the shadows of the furniture inside reminded her of monsters from stories she used to read as a child. It was completely still, yet in her guts she felt that someone, or something, was in there, lurking in the shadows, watching. She held out her hand, as if wanting to touch the darkness and whatever lived in it, but Alexis stopped herself and shook her head with a smile on her face. She was tired, and her imagination was still running wild after all the magical shenanigans earlier. She would feel just as nervous if she walked in front of Blackwall’s toy store, and would definitely feel something worse in the dark hole Dorian called his bookshop.

“All the places are going to close if you don’t hurry up!” came Harding’s shout from the corner of the street.

“They won’t hold my table forever at the Dragonthorn, so get your bony ass moving!”

“Hey, my ass is perfectly rounded!” Alexis shouted back, feeling offended. She did not spend at least an hour freezing on her bike every day to be insulted like this.

Simple as that, the anxious feeling concerning Cory Café was gone. Alexis actually felt a little silly, getting scared of the dark like when she was a child and cried every night until her nanny turned all the lights on in her room and the hallway to make sure no demons were hiding in her mother's crystal nug collection.

“The sooner you get some alcohol down your throat, the better,” she told her reflection looking back at her from Cory Café’s windows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been so long, I knooooow. And I'm so sorry. School stuff happened. But things should be a bit calmer now and I promise I'll bring the next chapter a lot sooner.


End file.
